


Till Death Do Us Part

by tipsy_teletubbies



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, Dancer Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Flower Language, Hanahaki Disease, Hurt No Comfort, Kinda?, M/M, Sad Junnie, Self-Hatred, Unrequited Love, Wen Jun Hui | Jun is a Sweetheart, jun dances his pain away, junnie blames himself, mingyu is also a sweetheart pls don't hate him, someone has hanahaki, take a wild flipping guess who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25697407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tipsy_teletubbies/pseuds/tipsy_teletubbies
Summary: When the first flower crawled its way up his throat, Jun laughed, a desperate sound that soon gave way to a choked sob. A final goodbye to his life, and a final goodbye to Minghao's love for him.Till death do us part... right?Junhui loves Minghao, which is why he's willing to let him go regardless of the consequences.
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Xu Ming Hao | The8, Wen Jun Hui | Jun/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 6
Kudos: 77





	Till Death Do Us Part

**Author's Note:**

> I hate myself and you should too :)
> 
> Thank you [papaya_oyl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/papaya_oyl/pseuds/papaya_oyl) for beta reading this! Love you loads ♡
> 
> I'd suggest listening to Jun's cover of 对不起我爱你 (I'm Sorry, I Love You) while reading this. His vocals really need more attention
> 
> Enjoy reading, y'all!

It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair how Jun could never hate Mingyu, no matter how much he wanted to. It would be so easy to blame him, to force his pain and suffering onto him, but Mingyu didn't deserve Jun's bitterness. Just like how Jun didn't deserve Minghao's love anymore. Junhui had no one but himself to blame. 

When the first flower crawled its way up his throat, Jun laughed, a desperate sound that soon gave way to a choked sob. A red spider lily; how fitting. A final goodbye to his life, and a final goodbye to Minghao's love for him. He knew Minghao didn't love him anymore. He'd known the very second when Minghao had fallen out of love with him, he didn't need the damn flower to confirm it. Warm eyes, brimming with love, were replaced by distant ones. Not cold, never cold; Minghao was nothing if not kind. He would never be cruel to Junhui, despite the lack of love. Somehow, the never ending kindness he offered was worse than any harsh words he could've given to Jun.

_Till death do us part._ Jun had murmured those words to Minghao once. Under the starlit sky, basked in the moonlight and cuddled in each other's warmth, Minghao had looked at him with adoration clear on his face. Never one for words, only a gentle and loving smile graced his lips. Time had stood still for the couple as they shared tender kisses under the full moon. 

That moment was one of Jun's most cherished memories; one that made his heart swell with love. He wasn't perfect, but when Minghao loved him, he felt invincible. 

Jun wondered exactly when Minghao had fallen in love with Mingyu. He wondered when his empty smiles had become genuine again. Was it when he came crashing through the door, gushing about a new coworker? Was it when he grinned at his phone in front of Jun at the dinner table, the different text tone indicating someone special? Was it when he came home with a blush staining his cheeks, muttering offhandedly about a compliment he had received from someone named Mingyu? All Junhui knew was that all the intimate smiles and private jokes were no longer reserved for him. Minghao was slipping through his hold like cherry blossom petals, and there was nothing left to do but grasp at the empty air desperately.

Junhui had often joked about death. He always told Minghao he wasn't afraid of death, only afraid of never seeing him again. The thought of dying never scared him as badly as the thought of losing Minghao did. Under the darkness of early dawn, Jun admitted his fear of Minghao being stolen away from him. Minghao had looked at him seriously with those expressive dark eyes, their hands intertwined in a firm hold. He'd reassured Jun he wasn't going anywhere, that he would always be there with him. He'd promised that even after death, he would be with Jun. 

_Till death do us part._ Minghao had waved the line away, certainty and fondness warm in the depths of his eyes. 

_'We will never be apart, Junnie. Not even death will separate us. I promise.'_

The golden light of the sunrise had poured over the couple, a ray of hope that Junhui snatched at greedily. Minghao had promised a future for the two of them, one filled with bright, hopeful mornings, happiness, and laughter. One that would last until the end of time. One that no one could take away from them. He had promised.

Perhaps Minghao was cruel. He had promised Jun everything he had ever wanted, and broke it in a heartbeat. Jun wasn't sure if he could forgive Minghao, nor could he forgive himself.

Jun danced and danced, legs aching and chest heaving. Petals fell from his lips with every harsh pant. The reflection in the mirror didn't belong to Jun. Minghao had fallen in love with Wen Junhui, a confident dancer who had a never ending collection of pick up lines just for Minghao. He was someone who attracted people to him with his bright laugh, his god given talent, his charm and charisma. He was a youthful star that shone brightly even in the suffocating darkness. Wen Junhui was a man who gave his unending love, and was loved by Xu Minghao in return. The reflection in the mirror was not Wen Junhui. The person in the mirror was frail and shrivelled, death hovering over their shoulders with each weak cough. They were ghostly pale and horribly thin, with red flowers decorating the floor at their feet. They were a dying star that could only submit to the darkness. The person in the mirror was a man who loved and loved, but was not loved in return. 

_June 8th._ June 8th was a day Junhui held closer to his heart than any other day. It was the day he had met Minghao. As a child, Jun had always loved dancing; the way the music enveloped him, giving him wings to fly. He was free to express his emotions in a way only he understood. But he parents did not support his dreams of becoming a dancer. Focused only on the financial aspect of life, his parents had forbade him from entering the dance competition he had always dreamed of entering. Frustrated and defeated, he had retreated back to the school dance studio on the day on the competition, where he danced his anger away. When the music stopped, he had been shocked to discover a boy waving shyly at him in the mirror. With one hand clamped around Junhui's wrist tightly, the boy had led him to the stage, demanding for him to dance.

Even at a young age, even when he didn't know him, Jun had never been able to say no to Minghao. 

_June 8th._ June 8th was their anniversary. Junhui had planned everything perfectly, down to the very minute where he would gift Minghao with a bouquet of a beautiful assortment of lilies. In China, they meant a hundred years of love. To Jun, they meant a lifetime of loving Minghao. _Till death do us part._

A fancy dinner, heartfelt conversations, and of course, a number of corny pick up lines that had the other blushing and sighing in exasperation. But as always, everything had gone horribly wrong when a piece of eggplant found its way into Jun's dinner, leading to a panicked visit to the emergency room. Under the harsh, blinding lights of the hospital, with Minghao pacing nervously and murmuring words of comfort in Mandarin, worry and distress clouding his sharp face, Junhui had thought he never looked more beautiful. Half delirious from the medication, Jun had taken Minghao's hand into his own, looking more serious than he ever had in his life. 

"Be my boyfriend."

Laughter and concern had fought with each other on Minghao's face; he looked as if he would break apart completely at one wrong word or action. "Junhui, you're literally dying."

"Please be my boyfriend."

He had received no response, only a pained look, but just before Jun slipped into unconsciousness, he had felt a squeeze on his hand, a whispered, "thought you'd never ask" and a kiss on his forehead. 

It wasn't what he had planned, far from it, but Jun treasured it nonetheless. 

_June 8th._ Jun was at the same restaurant they were at five years ago. He had the same bouquet of lilies. He held onto the flicker of hope that Minghao would still care enough to have dinner with him on their five year anniversary. He convinced himself that if he was able to get Minghao to fall in love with him once, he would be able to do it a second time. It was a pathetic hope, but he was a pathetic man. 

Black words on a white screen glared up at him, crushing what little hope he had. 

_'Something came up. I'm sorry.'_

_June 8th._ Jun was back at the studio, dancing some more. His body was numb to the pain, but his heart was heavy with the love that would never be returned again. The crimson flowers that burst from his chest was proof of that. With each petal that danced its own deadly dance, blood dripped to the ground in a steady beat, bringing with it Jun's fragmented soul and his fickle life. _Till death do us part._

"Let's break up."

Minghao had sat Jun down, a sad but determined light in his eyes. Dread and anguish washed over Jun at those three words, a blade of hurt stabbing into him and twisting cruelly, but he forced them back; he wasn't worth of feeling those emotions. He deserved only the sorrows that would continue to strangle him. 

"Okay."

Surprise painted Minghao's face. He always did have the most expressive face, an open book for Jun to read. And Jun could read the distance in his expression perfectly. "Aren't you going to..um... ask me why?"

A slight smile was all Junhui could offer. He wondered if the other could see his heart shattering through his smile. Then again, Minghao had never been as good as Jun was at reading his face. He would never be able to see the pain and heartbreak through the impassive mask Jun was putting on for his sake. "No. You have your reasons, Hao. I respect your decision. I just want you to be happy."

Minghao's head lowered in shame. "You still love me." Jun didn't deny it; he knew it would be in vain. "I'm sorry, Junnie."

 _Junnie._ The familiar nickname broke something inside of him. It used to be shouted with exaggerated annoyance, or yelled with excitement, or whispered in the safety of the night with love and affection. Now, it was simply used to address Jun. That knowledge forced his heart to clench painfully, spider lilies dangerously inching their way up. 

Jun cleared his throat and stood up, ignoring the way he almost collapsed. "Don't be. Minghao, you always deserve to be happy. You're a good person." _A person I love with all my heart._

Minghao's head still hung low. "I'll pack a bag and stay at Gyu's place tonight. I'll come back sometime this week to get the rest of it."

Jun refused to let his smile falter. He didn't have anything to give anymore; he didn't want to burden Minghao with his grief, keeping him from soaring freely. His own wings had long been stripped from him. "I'll help you pack."

With every item of clothing that disappeared into Minghao's bag, a part of Junhui's shattering life went with it. He didn't have anything left to give anymore; his traitorous heart still gave Minghao his unwanted love. The former couple stood at the doorway awkwardly, the silence heavy with unspoken words. 

_Stay. Don't leave me. I'm begging you. I love you._

The weight of those words were dragging Jun towards the gates of death, but Minghao didn't deserve them. He didn't deserve the burden of them. The unrelenting weight was for Jun and Jun only to endure. It was for him only to suffer as it stood on his chest, suffocating him in the depths of his despair. 

"I'll be going then," Minghao said quietly. Jun was content with staying silent, watching Minghao turn his back and walk through the doors, out of his life forever without a single word. But his brain was as traitorous as his heart. 

"Does he make you happy?"

Minghao froze. The unspoken part of the question hung heavily, suspended in the air between them: _does he make you happier than I do?_

As Minghao's eyes met Jun's dull ones, he already knew the answer. If Jun was a stronger man, he would've kept his mouth shut. If he was a stronger man, he would've spared himself from the hurt that came with the answer. If he was a stronger man, he would've let go sooner. But he was never strong when it came to Minghao. When it came to Minghao, he always came crashing to his knees. 

"Yes."

_Till death do us part._ Jun was dancing again. With his eyes closed, with the music wrapped snug around his body, with Minghao's melodic voice echoing in the dance studio, Junhui could almost pretend he was there with him. His chest ached with the absence of Minghao; his entire body craved for the one person who no longer loved him. He had always defied fate, and he was now suffering the consequences. He didn't try to hide the steady stream of flowers that trickled from his mouth anymore. After all, there was no one left to witness his misery.

Junhui wasn't perfect. He was never perfect. He was a broken boy, with ragged edges sharper than shards of glass, and anyone who touched him was left with an ugly cut. He had given up everything to pursue his dream of dancing, defying his parents and leaving everything behind. He had only his dancing and, of course, Minghao.

Minghao had followed him with no hesitation, his faith in Jun unwavering. Even when the two had been starving, even when they were shivering in the cold, Minghao had never stopped believing in Jun. Junhui had taken this faith and built a career with it. Minghao's unfaltering belief was his muse. Without Minghao, Junhui would have never existed. He had embraced all of Jun, smoothing out his sharp edges with patience and love, and he could only return it in the same unwavering love. 

Jun danced and danced and danced. He danced until his numb legs buckled underneath him. He danced until the red spider lilies buried his body. He danced until his heart slowed, and stopped beating, embraced in a cage of intricate vines and flowers. He danced until his last breath, Minghao's name still on his last exhale.

_Till death do us part._ Wen Junhui belonged to Minghao. His life, his love, his very existence; it all belonged only to Xu Minghao. Mingyu may have replaced Jun's spot in Minghao's life, and death may have stolen Jun's life, but his love would always belong to Minghao and Minghao only. 

**Author's Note:**

> The cherry blossom idea came from papaya_oyl XD. Apparently in Kdramas, if a couple stands underneath a cherry blossom tree and a petal lands on their outstretched hand without trying to catch it, the couple is fated to be together. So the metaphorical petal slipping from Jun's hand means they aren't fated to be together... yeah... 
> 
> I promise I love Junnie and Hao, I just like writing a lot of angst ㅠㅠ
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this story and as always, feedback and opinions are appreciated! Thanks for reading!! ♡


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